Grove goes on attack of Ashburn’s record, DUI

In reiterating her support for First District Supervisor candidate Mick Gleason, Assemblywoman Shannon Grove went on the attack against Roy Ashburn.In a statement, Grove reacted to the news that former Congressman Bill Thomas joined current Kern County First District Supervisor Jon McQuiston and a bi-partisan collation of...

Comment

Ridgecrest Daily Independent - Ridgecrest, CA

Writer

Posted Oct. 18, 2012 at 4:45 PM
Updated Oct 18, 2012 at 4:55 PM

Posted Oct. 18, 2012 at 4:45 PM
Updated Oct 18, 2012 at 4:55 PM

Bakersfield

In reiterating her support for First District Supervisor candidate Mick Gleason, Assemblywoman Shannon Grove went on the attack against Roy Ashburn.

In a statement, Grove reacted to the news that former Congressman Bill Thomas joined current Kern County First District Supervisor Jon McQuiston and a bi-partisan collation of county political leaders in supporting Ashburn.

Grove joined the line of criticizing Ashburn’s long record as a politician, serving Kern County as supervisor, assemblyman and state senator spanning more than 30 years.

She also started attacking Ashburn’s DUI arrest before he left office as state senator.

“Those who want to forget his drunken driving arrest at 2 a.m. in a taxpayer-paid vehicle are welcome to forget, but I remember that also,” Grove’s statement read. “That’s why I’ve endorsed Mick Gleason.”

In her criticism, she said those who are backing Ashburn remember him from their 30-plus years together, but she said she also remembers Ashburn’s time in office.

“I remember him too. When he was our state senator, Roy Ashburn voted to raise my taxes higher than ever in California history. He betrayed his party and betrayed his stated principles to do it,” Grove said in a statement.

Thomas shocked some in political circles by turning away from his friend and successor Kevin McCarthy by supporting Ashburn.

Thomas made his announcement on Thursday surrounded by former supervisors, Bakersfield council members and McQuiston.

Thomas, a Republican, was also joined by the Democratic leader in Kern County that day, signifying a broad base of support among the establishment for Ashburn.

Immediately after the announcement, Gleason’s camp began downplaying the importance of the endorsement by calling Ashburn a career politician who is falling back on his old contacts.

Ashburn and Thomas are old friends. Ashburn used to work for Thomas as a Congressional aide.

But the two had a falling out years ago and had not shown public support of each other until Thursday.

Still, Grove took the endorsement to task, saying it is more “old friends” working together to keep the career of a politician going.

She called on supporters to not forget Ashburn’s record in Sacramento.

“What we got was higher taxes — what Ashburn got for his betrayal as he left office was an appointment to a state commission that pays over $125,000 per year and meets once a month—a post he still collects on today,” Grove’s statement read. “That’s a selfish act as an outgoing elected official. Conservatives should never forget what Ashburn did to us in Sacramento as our elected representative.”